myrobalan
Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.
Myrobalan can become a substantial forest tree, with a broad trunk and large buttresses. The Chinese flora describes trees reaching about thirty-five meters. Gray bark develops lengthwise ridges, while leaf scars spiral around younger branches. Flora of China: Terminalia bellirica
Botanical name
Kew accepts Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.; Myrobalanus bellirica Gaertn. is the basionym. Kew Plants of the World Online: Terminalia bellirica
Recognizing the plant
The glossy blades crowd toward branch tips so closely that they appear whorled, although they are actually arranged in a spiral. Broadly obovate leaves narrow toward the base and have rounded or shortly pointed tips. Young foliage can be covered with rusty hairs that diminish as it matures. Slender flower spikes arise from the leaf axils, sometimes gathering near a branch tip into a larger cluster. Small flowers bear ten protruding stamens. Rounded to egg-shaped fruits are softly hairy and usually show five more or less prominent ridges. Flora of China: Terminalia bellirica
Bloom window
Southern Yunnan, China
The Chinese flora records flowers in March and April, followed by fruits from May through July. Flora of China: Terminalia bellirica
Native range
The native range extends from the Indian subcontinent through southern Yunnan and Southeast Asia into Malesia. In southern Yunnan, it occupies stream valleys, scattered forest and lower seasonal rainforest at about 500–1,400 m. Kew Plants of the World Online: Terminalia belliricaFlora of China: Terminalia bellirica
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.